Trolley-toboggan



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

I D. M. HARMAN. V TROLLBY TOBOGGAN.

No. 432,271. Patented July 15, 1890.

WITNESSES: NTOR: @m 4 :2. L j/ ATTORNEY.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets Sheet 2.

D. M. HARMAN. TROLLBY TOBOGGAN.

N0. 432,271. Patented July 15, 1890.

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ATTORNEY.

t e e h S m e e h s 3 NF AM W% B Aw Y .3 n 0 m d 0 M 0 m i: w 5 T w i V i T; Z; a d Al 9 m a m 2 5 INVENTORI WITNESSES:

W BY

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL lVLl-IARHAN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

' TROLL EY-TOBOGGAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,271, dated July 15, 1890. Application filegl January 21, 1890. $erial No. 337,636. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern-1 Be it known that I, DANIEL M. HARMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Trolley-Toboggans, of which the following is a specification. 5

This invention relates to'an elevated inclined transit system, and as here shown is designed for conveying passengers for amusement; but it may be used for other purposes.

I call the invention av trolley-toboggan, and the same is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in,which Figure l is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view. Fig. 3 show detail views of the supporting-post, bracket, and carriage. Figs. 4 and 5 show top and side views of the bracket and cable. Fig. 6 shows a view of the trolley and carriage-elevator device. Fig. 7 shows a supporting-post provided with a cable-bracket on opposite sides, by means of which one set of posts will serve for supporting both the outgoing-stretch and the return stretch of cable. Fig. 8 shows the construction of a two-wheel trolley, instead of a single wheel, as in the other views. Figs. 9 and 10 are elevation and plan views, respectively, of modificati ons in the construction of the elevated transit system, being a plural number of outgoing and returning cable-stretches alternating, but having the same trolley and carriage elevator device as shown in Figs. 1 and 6.

The cable or wire, made of steel or other suitable material, is supported on brackets B,

which are attached to posts 0, and are shown separately in Figs. 3, 4, and 5.

The general arrangement of the system is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A stand, tower, or platform D is elevated on posts and reached by stairs E. Extending across this elevated platform are two horizontal stretches A of the cable or wire, united by a curve-bar a, and therefrom atone side is a downwardly-inclined stretch A where the carriage receives its impetus, and then a horizontal stretch A where the movement of the carriage is smooth and pleasant to the passenger, then a return or part-circular stretch A of iron rail, ending with a slight inclination A to the terminal station F, where the passenger alights.

Each bracket B has a' suitable, metal plate -g bolted .to it with one end projecting, and the cable is secured on said projecting end. That post which is at the end of thehorizontal stretch A adjoining the part-circular rail, has avbracket-plate g, which is provided with a slot h in its projecting end, (see Figs. 4 and 5,) so as to leave two projectingportions g The cable rests upon one projection g and then bends, as at b, and passes down through the slot h, and its inclined end I) is made fast to an anchorage-post G. The stiff iron-rail stretch A has its end '5 aligned or fitted close to the said down-bend Z) of the cable, with which it is practically continuous, and thereby the trolley ll in rolling along the cable can readily pass onto the said rail. From the low terminal station F the return-stretch A of the cable inclines upward to the stand or tower D, and there connects directly with one of the horizontal stretches A. The trolley H consists of a grooved roller 7c, mounted in a metal headland adapted to allow the grooved roller to be placed on the cable or wire A and taken off readily. The trolley has a depending hook or link m connecting it with a hanger-bar n, from which'the carriage O is suspended. The carriage may consist of any suitable light materiallike netting of rope, wire, wicker, or light slats-and maybe of size for one, two, or more persons.

From the low terminal station F to the elevated stand or tower D is an endless cable 19, running over two pulleys q q, one at each of said'stations. This endless cable is directly above and parallel with the upwardly-inclined return-stretch A. It is provided at intervals along its length with hooks T, which are adapted to take into or engage with the loop on the trolley-head 1, while the trolley-roller 7c is resting an the cable-stretch A. As the endless cable p is to be kept running by suitable means-such as a hand-crank on one of the pulleys q or qit will be seen that as a passenger alights from a carriage O to the platform F the trolley H will pass along the cable to a point below the lower pulley q, where a hook a" on the endless cable will engage with the loop of the trolley-head Z, and thereby the trolley and carriage will be elevated to the tower D. From this description it will be seen that the apparatus may be used for purposes of amusement in carrying persons or for other purposes.

The construction of various parts of this apparatus may be modified or altered without departing from my invention. Several modifications of the kind referred to are shown in Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10, all of which will be understood from the brief description already given of these figures. It may be added that in Fig. 9 there is but one line of the supporting-posts C, and these are designed to have two brackets B, as shown in Fig. 7, one at a side opposite the other, and the cable is stretched first down along the left side of the 'row of posts, then curves at 7 around the last post C and returns down along the right side of the row, then curves half around a post 0 and again stretches down along the left side of the row, again curving at 8 half around the last post C, and returns again down along the right side of the row. The cable is thus stretched along spirally. In Fig. 10 a plan view is shown of a still different arrangement.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In an elevated transit system, the combination of an elevated tower or stand D, a post having a bracket-plate provided with two projecting portions g g and a space or slot it between them, an anchorage-post, a cable-track inclining downward from said tower, resting on one of said projections, bending and passing down through said space or slot, and made fast to the anchorage-post, and a stiff rail resting on the other projection aligned with the cable and therewith forming a continuous track.

2. In an elevated transit system, the combination of an elevated tower or stand D,

posts having brackets-two inclined stretches of cable leading from the tower and along said brackets and secured thereto, said stretches of cable each being bent down near its outer end and secured to an anchorage, whereby the device is stayed and strengthened, a stiff-iron rail A, curved in a part-circular form and having each of its two ends aligned or fitted close to a different one of the said two stretches of cables at and above the bent portion thereof, and a carriage suspended from a trolleywheel to travel on the cable and rail.

3. In an elevated transit system, the combination, with the tracks, a portion of which are inclined, of a trolley suspended therefrom, the head of which is provided with a loop, and an endless cable provided with books and arranged parallel with the inclined portion of the track, so.that the hooks will engage with the loop on the head of the trolley and carry it up the incline, substantially as described.

4:. In an elevated transit system, the combination, with the elevated stand, of supportin g-posts, a cable upon the posts leading from the stand having a plural number of outgoing and returning stretches, one below the other, and a trolley for traversing the entire length of the cable, substantially as described.

5. In an elevated transit system, the combination, with the elevated stand, of supporting-posts and a cable on the posts, a portion of which is arranged spirally thereon, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL M. IIARMAN.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. Monnrs, JNo. T. MADDoX. 

